Herb-crusted Pizza

I woke up craving pizza today!  Here's another eggless pizza crust recipe... I spiced up the crust to give it a more flavorful, restaurant taste. I also added homemade pepper sauce into the marinara - I'm happy with the results, so here's the recipe!  

 Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:  

• 3 cups all purpose flour 
• 1 pack fast acting yeast  
• 1 tablespoon salt, sugar, garlic powder, oregano, basil & crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1.5 cups warm water  
• 2 cups marinara sauce 
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional) 
• Toppings of your choice  

Recipe:  

1.       In a large basin, combine all dry ingredients & stir until incorporated. 
2. Add the olive oil & warm water - use a plastic or rubber spatula to stir the mixture into a dough. You just want the dough to be combined, don't over-knead it. It will be sticky, but that's what you want.  
3. Cover the basin with clear wrap & then lay a kitchen towel over it to ensure the basil is kept dark. Put it aside in a dark, warm area of your kitchen for at least 30 minutes. (Hint: I kneaded this dough before leaving for work this morning. This helped cut my cooking time down when I got home!) 
4. After the dough rises, preheat your oven to 325. You'll need 2 cookie sheets if you don't have a pizza pan. Spray the cookie sheets with Pam & then sprinkle dry flour over the Pam to ensure the pizza crush doesn't stick to the pan. 
5. Use your hands to split the dough into 2 pieces, then stretch it out onto each pan, into an even rectangle.  
6. Put the dough in the oven for about 15-20 minutes in order to ensure the crust is cooked through.  
7. Take the dough pans out, top the dough with marinara sauce, pepper sauce & toppings of your choice, then pop it back into the oven for another 10-15 mins or until the cheese is melted. 
8. Enjoy!  

Mushroom & Black Bean Tacos

Another healthy, fast, delicious veggie meal!  These mushroom and black bean tacos are super easy and you can use whatever toppings you have on hand. 

Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• Corn taco shells
• Sliced portobello mushrooms
• Diced tomatoes
• Diced green chili peppers
• 1 can black beans
• Shredded cheese or queso fresco 
• Sour cream (if desired)
• Salt/pepper as desired
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin & chili powder (or you can use a taco seasoning packet)

Recipe:

1. Heat the beans on low with the ground cumin and chili powder in a medium skillet.  Set aside
2. Cook the sliced mushrooms in the same skillet until cooked through. 
3. Heat the tortillas in an oven on 425 for 3 mins or until warm.  If you heat these too long they will get hard.
4. Spoon some of the black beans in the center of each tortilla, add the mushrooms and other toppings. 
5. Enjoy!

Kichri

Who doesn't love a one-pot dish? Kichri is my kinda vegetarian comfort food!  It combines the heat of spiced split peas with cumin & curry powder, creamy coconut milk, & fresh spinach!  

Time: 1 hour 

Ingredients:  

• 1/2 cup split peas
• 1/2 onion, diced  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin  
• 1.5 teaspoon curry powder
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper sauce
• 1 can coconut milk 
• 4 cups water  
• 1 handful fresh spinach, chopped 
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil  
• 1 cup white rice (I used basmati) 

Recipe: 

1. In a large pot, sauté  the onions & garlic in the vegetable oil for ~2 mins. 
2. Add the split peas, curry powder & cumin. Add chilli paste or pepper sauce if desired, mix until combined.  
3. Add 1 cup of water & bring to a boil, then cover the pot & let the split peas soften for at least 25 minutes or until you can break a pea easily with your fingertips. You should check it halfway & add another cup of water, the peas will soak up the water as they boil.   
4. Uncover the pot, add the rice, coconut milk & the last 2 cups of water. Bring this to a boil uncovered for another 15-20 minutes or so until the rice cooks completely - turning it every so often so the bottom doesn't burn. You want it to cook until the liquid boils down so the dish is creamy, but not too liquidy.  

Vegetarian Barley Soup

Tired of the cold/snow?  Warm up in no time with this recipe! Don't worry, my Vegetarian Barley Soup is soup-er easy!!  The potato pieces practically melt in your mouth, and help keep you fuller, longer.  Try this next time you're in the mood for a quick, comforting meal.

Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 cup barley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons yellow onion (diced)
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced thing or minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• 3 small red potatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)

Recipe:

1. In a large pot, sauté the diced onions, ginger and garlic in olive oil for 1-2 mins until the onion pieces are transparent. 
2. Add the potatoes, barley, thyme, salt and pepper - stir to combine.
3. Add the vegetable stock and water, bring to a boil then add the bouillon cube.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer, and let sit for 30 mins or until the potatoes are soft enough to easily cut through.
5. Add the pepper sauce if desired, stir and enjoy!

Spinach Tortellini Salad

Feeling lazy at lunchtime? Try my spinach tortellini lunch salad!  It's quick - it's easy - it's delicious!

Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup spinach tortellini
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles
• 1/4 cup grape tomatoes, whole
• 1 tablespoon roasted garlic slices
• 1/4 cup olives of your choice
• salt/pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt
2. Strain when cooked through and let cool
3. Toss in a bowl with desired toppings 
4. Sprinkle with salt/pepper to taste
5. Eat cold or at room temperature

Painless Pesto Pasta

Putting my basil plant to good use!  Such an easy, quick meal; perfect for my Meatless Mondays!

Time: 15-20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pasta of your choice (I used a gorgeous colorful Fettuccine)
• 1 tablespoon salt for the pasta water
• 2 cups (4 handfuls) fresh basil leaves, washed and dried completely
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts (you can sub walnuts)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• A few shreds of fresh parmigiano-reggiano (parmesan) cheese (optional)

Recipe:

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt.
2. Add pasta and cook al dente (your pasta package should give timing instructions based on the thickness of the pasta, mine took 3 mins). Make sure it's al dente because pesto is a thick sauce, so you don't want the pasta to be too soft when you mix the sauce in or it will get mushy.
3. Place the basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, salt and black pepper in a food processor.  Pulse until finely ground.
4. Strain the pasta and return it back to the pot while it's still hot.
5. Mix the pesto into the pasta until well-coated, careful not to mush it.
6. Use tongs to plate the pasta and grate the fresh cheese over it (if desired) using a potato peeler.
7. Enjoy!

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Here's a perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving table!  SO easy to make, and very difficult to mess up. 

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 3 large potatoes
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
• 1.5 teaspoons finely chopped chives
• 4 tablespoons salted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup fat-free milk (I used fat-free Lactaid)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper

Recipe:

1. Scrub potatoes thoroughly, leaving on as much of the skin as you can.
2. Add 3 cups of water and half of the salt to a medium-large pot - bring to a boil.
3. When the water is boiling, add the potatoes and cover them - let them boil until they start to pop open a little, about 30 mins (this makes it really easy to mash them!). 
4. Strain the potatoes, but put the pot back on the stove so the water dries out.
5. In the dried pot, add the garlic slices and butter - let it melt for about 30 seconds. 
6. Add the potatoes back into the pot, the milk, remaining salt, black pepper, and chives.
7. Mix the potatoes continuously allowing all of the ingredients to incorporate.   You want to press down any lumps of potato so the mixture is smooth.  This should take about 5 mins if the potatoes boiled long enough.
8. Sprinkle a little smoked paprika for garnish (optional) and enjoy!

Homemade Pizza!

Tried an eggless crust! (FYI, it's fantastic). 

Eggless homemade pizza!

Time:  1.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 packet fast acting yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons dried oregano 
• Toppings of your choice

Recipe:

1. Mix all dry ingredients together for dough (including garlic powder and 2 tablespoons of the oregano).
2. Slowly add warm water & 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, mix with a wooden spoon to incorporate then knead lightly with your hands (don't over-knead or it'll get hard)
3. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a dark area for 30 mins to rise
4. Spread crust out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, you will need to stretch the dough for a little bit with your hands until it stays flat. 
5. Poke holes in the crust with your finger tips. 
6. Sprinkle the top of the crust with the last tablespoon of olive oil and some additional Italian seasonings of your choice (I used the last tablespoon of oregano and another teaspoon of garlic powder because I love garlic!). 
7. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven & turn on the oven to 500 degrees. Then, carefully take it out, place the pizza (with toppings) on it & bake for ~8 mins or until done. 
8. If you don't have a pizza stone & are using a cookie sheet lined with foil, sprinkle a little dry flour on top of the foil (or use breadcrumbs). Bake crust alone for 15 mins on 350.
9. Take crust out of the oven, add desired toppings (I used 1/2 bottle of marinara sauce + slices of fresh mozzarella cheese + torn slices of fresh basil leaves.
10. Bake on 350 for ~30 mins or until cheese is melted & crust is cooked through.
11. Enjoy!

Eggless Eggplant Parmesan

GREAT for my Meatless Mondays! 

Eggplant Parmesan is vegetarian, but most recipes require you to use egg to coat the eggplant before adding bread crumbs.  I don't eat meat or eggs on Mondays so I thought up this recipe.  Enjoy!

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Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 log herbed goat cheese
• About 3 tablespoons salt
• 1 bottle marinara sauce
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil or as needed to coat the pan
• 1 cup bread crumbs (you can use flavored or unflavored - I used Italian flavored).  You can also sub regular bread crumbs with Panko
• 1 tablespoon crushed red peppers
• Black pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds - salt both sides and let them sit for 5 mins (so the salt absorbs some of the moisture, and doesn't make your eggplant brown or soggy)
2. Next, coat the bottom of a non-stick skillet with olive oil, amount will vary based on how big your pan is.  Get the oil to medium heat.
3. Fry each eggplant round in the olive oil for about 1-2 mins on each side.   You want the cooking to start, but not completely cooked through. 
4. While the eggplant is still hot, lay them out on a plate or napkin and drop about 1 teaspoon or 1/2 teaspoon of goat cheese on top so it can melt - then spread evenly. 
5. After the goat cheese is spread on one side, immediately coat with breadcrumbs. 
6. Turn each round over and spread the other side with goat cheese, coat it with breadcrumbs as well.
7. Preheat oven to 350.
8. Place the coated eggplant rounds back into the skillet and fry them until they are golden brown on both sides.   You may need to add more olive oil to the pan before this step. 
9. Lay eggplant rounds side by side into your baking pan.
10. Take your 3 cloves of garlic, chop them up and add them to a sauce pan or pot with a little olive oil.
11. After the garlic is golden brown, add marinara sauce, black pepper and crushed red pepper.
12. Let this mixture simmer for about 10 mins then pour over your eggplant.
13. Sprinkle your grated Parmesan cheese on top of this.  Bake on 350 for about 15 - 20 mins or until cheese is melted.  
14. Serve hot & enjoy :)

Photo credits to Anand Bahadur, JR:  https://www.facebook.com/abpdphotography

Another serving suggestion:  If you don't have marinara sauce on hand, you can also serve the eggplant fried in goat cheese & breadcrumbs as an appetizer or snack!  Just add some additional seasoning in the breadcrumb mixture (i.e. some dried oregano or basil). 

Roasted Eggplant Flatbread Pizza

Really quick, delicious, vegetarian dinner! 

Ingredients:

• 1 Eggplant
  
• Olive oil (about 4 tablespoons or more as needed)
  
• About 1/4 cup feta cheese
  
• About 6-8 fresh mint leaves
  
• Salt/Pepper
  

Recipe:

1. Cut the eggplant into cubes (peeled first) then roast until golden brown (low broil)
   
2. Bake the multigrain flatbread for 10 mins on 350 degrees
   
3. Grind half the eggplant chunks in the food processor with 2 tablespoons olive oil
   
4. Spread ground eggplant mixture on multigrain flatbread
   
5. Top with the remaining eggplant pieces, feta cheese & mint leaves
   
6. Sprinkle more olive oil, salt & black pepper & broil for 5 mins
   
7. Enjoy!